How do you get social housing in London?

[HappyNewTaxYear]

Just that really. How do you get on a list? How long are the lists?

Not possibly, very likely in many areas you can't even apply to join the housing register unless you are a care leaver, over 55 (with stipulations), in receipt of certain benefits or a successful asylum seeker.

Even then, the average wait is years in many areas.

9 year wait for eligible single people in my Borough and they are consulting now to close the lists to anyone who is not in priority need. Priority need covers homeless families, high medical needs, homeless and vulnerable etc

Some councils will also allocate a priority to key workers; social workers, nurses etc as in London they can’t attract these workers due to the high cost of housing. They are often allocated ‘affordable’ properties ( a bit below market rents which are still expensive but secure) or low demand ie; tower blocks or areas with high levels of antisocial behaviour.

I said possibly because every situation is different. It's not all clear cut . In gebwral I ageee . But its not all one bedrooms going to care leavers .

I agree some councils won't allow you to join unless your at rush of being homeless. Then they mostly refer to private rent. In my council they have a vsvd 4 which says no housing need. I think the people in that band sit there for ever

My council website basically says don't bother to apply even if you are eligible!

Yeah mine says something simlar.

I think also what confuses people
is they think that the length of time you have been on the register contributes to your chances of successfully bidding in a property. It has zero bearing on this at all, as is all about NEED and not patiently playing the long game and waiting for your turn to come after X amount of years.

I remember a couple of years ago when I was in housing, one family came into council offices and were fuming when neighbours on their estate who were privately renting were awarded a council house when their opposite sex children both turned 10 and could no longer share a room. The family who were upset by this had been bidding on social housing for around eight years in the Cambs area and could not understand how this could happen.
There was an absolutely nothing I could say to them and they were adamant they were more entitled. Unfortunately, for them, they were in a a secure Private rental, with sufficient bedrooms that corresponded with the sex of the children and no priority needs.
Because the rent was so high, they felt this was a factor that should be considered. Sadly, I had to explain without much success thatPaying high rent makes absolutely no difference to accessing social housing.

A LOT of people think it's a waiting game and you'll eventually get to the top of the list just by being on it.

They don't understand it's basically a triage system and without required need, you'll never get to the top.

Yes because I think the idea of ‘the list’ suggests you move up it in a logical way as places come up and everybody takes their turn.
Making people understand that resulted in abuse, being spat at, sworn at etc etc.
chair were nailed down where I worked and eventually screens between your and the service user
it’s very very emotive and people simply do not understand the system.

I was in band 3. Which is for homless families. Which is a very long wait (years) my situation then changed and I was put into band 1. Under threat to life. The prority date changed but I was housed quickly once in that band.

Looking at the feed back list it looks like other people were,waiting years . But it looks like i was housed really fast because of the change of prority date . So it could be seen as not fair.

Yes DV and threat to life for one of the family members requiring a relocation is Band A priority need.